As the game of golf has evolved over the last several hundred years, so too have the equipment, strategies and techniques used to play golf. Indeed, current golfers are inundated with all sorts of advanced, high-tech golf clubs and other equipment which are all aimed at lowering a golfer's score. Throughout time however, the pursuit of a proper golf swing has remained central to the game of golf. Accordingly, the advanced equipment available today is of little use to the golfer unless the golfer's swing is fundamentally sound.
To improve a golfer's swing, varying techniques addressing golf swing fundamentals have been suggested. For example, volumes of books, videotapes and other instructional aides offering techniques aimed at improving the golfer's swing are all available today. However, these instructional aides are of little help unless the golfer is able to apply them so that the suggested techniques such as stance, ball positioning and golf club swing path may be practiced repeatedly and properly.
A common drawback of many current instructional aides is that they are too complicated or require the presence of a golf professional or other instructor. Another drawback is that many instructional aides do not lend themselves for use at a driving range or other similar facility at which many golfers practice their swings. A reason for this is that many such aides include multiple components which require too much time to set up, which are too complicated to quickly learn how to use or which may be easily misplaced. Such aides are unsuitable for use at locations such as busy public driving ranges that typically attract young or otherwise inexperienced golfers.
While many driving ranges typically provide golf mats from which the golfer hits golf balls, such golf mats typically do not provide sufficient or any instructional aides whatsoever to help the golfer efficiently practice his or her golf swing. Furthermore, many existing golf mats wear out rapidly when repeatedly used in busy public driving ranges, do not accommodate left-handed golfers and/or do not provide a variable-height tee for use with different tee shots. Still further, many existing golf mats do not allow a golfer to experiment with different aspects of the swing such as stance so as to optimize the swing's efficiency.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,130 to Shofner discloses a grid pattern for ball placement. However, the numbers and letters outlining the ball placement area and which serve to develop a "mental impression" of correct ball placement represent a complex manner in which to practice a golf swing that may distract the golfer. These indicia also do not aide in determining proper golf club swing path and Shofner's grid pattern does not include adequate reference points to allow the golfer to quickly position his or her feet and/or golf ball at the desired location. Furthermore, the Shofner mat has only one hitting area for both left and right-handed golfers which increases mat wear and decreases mat life. Shofner also does not include a tee which limits its use to irons and fairway woods.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,913 to Bott discloses a mat having a grid pattern to which foot silhouettes are removably attached at desired stances. That the silhouettes must be repeatedly attached and removed for the various stances associated with different golf shots may consume too much time of a golfer's practice session, or may be too complicated for young or inexperienced golfers. Separable silhouettes may also be misplaced when repeatedly used by different individuals at a public driving range. The Bott mat also has no tee nor reference points to allow quick stance positioning, and exhibits only one swing path line which prevents the golfer from incrementally changing the ball position. The Bott mat is also suitable only for right-handed golfers and includes a swing path extension requiring excessive space that may render it unsuitable for many public driving ranges under space constraints.
Other existing instructional golf mats are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,163,686 to Bergman, 5,042,815 to Sutton, 4,355,810 to Rydeck, 4,248,431 to Burnes, 4,164,352 to O'Brien, and 4,000,905 to Shirhall. However, the mats disclosed therein are all limited to single hitting areas for both left and right-handed golfers which as described above, reduces the life of the golf mat. These mats generally do not provide safety features, and in fact, several include features protruding from the mat which if struck by the golfer, could cause injury.
Accordingly, there is a need for an instructional golf mat or system which allows a golfer to efficiently and properly practice the golf swing, which is suitable for use at a public facility and which generally overcomes the foregoing problems.